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Most people possess a basic understanding of conformity; however, many may fail to see the application and the impact of it in their own lives and in our society. Conformity discourages the type of independence that is valued in our supposedly free-thinking democratic world. Conformity is one of the major themes in Fahrenheit 451, and its impact is illustrated through conformity in appearance, behavior and thought. This invites us to draw clear parallels between Ray Bradbury"'"s classic and our current society. The correlation between appearance and social acceptance is readily apparent in our lives. In order to achieve societal norm we desire to appear similar to our peers, and as a result conformity in appearance has become a common example of conformity today. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag realizes that a major part of being socially accepted as a fireman is to conform through appearance. Montag observes this fact, but does not comment aloud: '"'Montag stared up, his mouth opened. Had he ever seen a fireman that didn"'"t have black hair, black brows, a fiery face, and a blue-steel shaved but unshaved look? These men were all mirror images of himself! Were all firemen picked then for their looks as well as their proclivities?'"' (Bradbury pg. 33) While there are countless examples of conformity through appearance in our society, one of the most prominent is directly associated with the last sentence of Montag"'"s observation.
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